UK's first-of-its-kind eGaming attraction to open in seaside city – with huge 200-seat arena and live shows
British Esports has announced that it will open its flagship Gaming and Esports Arena in Sunderland next year.
3
Stretching across 15,000-square-feet, the arena will host live events, competitions and have immersive audience experiences for egamers and egaming fans.
Short for 'electronic sports', esports involves people competing against each other through video gaming - either in a team or as an individual.
The new venue will include a 200-seat theatre for visitors, where there will be a 17-metre-wide screen to watch the action.
Spectators and gamers will also be able to explore different shops.
In addition to all this, there will be a number of performance rooms and an outdoor space for events in an attempt to make the arena one of the best esports destinations in the world.
Athletes will be able to train at the venue like they are in an actual competition, as well as learn about esports.
This includes professional esports players, who can also use the new arena to practice for upcoming events like the Esports World Cup and the Olympic Esports Games.
Students and future esports players can also develop their skills at the arena.
The venue won't just be for the players, but will also have spaces for all those involved in the sport including broadcasting studios.
Away from esports events, the arena will be used for private events, live music and community events too.
The state-of-the-art venue will be located next to the Stadium of Light - the home of Premier League football team AFC Sunderland.
Inside £49m 'Stadium of the Year' which saw world record set and is more popular than the Bernabeu
It will also be alongside the National Esports Performance Campus (NEPC) which opened back in 2023.
At the NEPC - which is also the HQ for the British Esports Federation - visitors can partake in esports bootcamp training and esports education.
Work will begin on the venue in September and is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026.
The UK is home to a number of other esports venues including the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London.
Big sporting events like Formula E at the ExCeL in London also host egaming activities, where visitors can play on race car simulators like they themselves are in the race.
3
Andy Payne OBE, chair of British Esports, said: "This is our St George's Park for esports, a national home with world-class performance spaces that will help train the next generation of esports talent and help to grow the region to be a key leader in esports in the UK.
"We have designed our facility so that on any given day we could be a training and performance hub, running a global esports tournament, hosting a publisher game launch or hired out as a music venue.
Councillor Michael Mordey, leader of Sunderland City Council also said they were "thrilled" with the news, which was part of a huge regeneration of Sunderland.
He added: "Billions of pounds of investment will see our city transformed in the coming years, with thousands of new homes, Grade A offices, a new Nissan electric vehicle hub and a plethora of new leisure developments rising from the ground, and the Gaming and Esports Arena is a fantastic addition to this mix.
"It is a game-changing development which will cement Sunderland's reputation as the home of esports in the UK, while providing a major boost to the regional economy, creating high skilled jobs for local people and attracting visitors from across the globe to our transforming city."
A new immersive attraction is also set to open in the UK with indoor racing track and 'top secret' games.
Plus, the 'world's greatest' music attraction hoping to open in the UK – with plans for massive live shows.
3
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Steve Coogan says working class are being 'ethnically cleansed' as redevelopment of northern cities does not benefit blue-collar workers
Steve Coogan has suggested that working class people are being 'ethnically cleansed' amid the redevelopment of northern cities. The Alan Partridge actor, 59, argued that investment in sophisticated skyscrapers did not benefit blue-collar workers. After backing the Greens at the last election, Mr Coogan appeared on BBC Breakfast on Friday to endorse the co-operative movement, which encourages businesses to share its profits among its employees. He said: 'The problem with all these cities like Liverpool and Manchester is they've got all these big shiny buildings, but all the people who are disenfranchised have been ethnically cleansed from the area. They don't actually benefit. 'What the co-operative movement does is tries to keep that money in the area and empower people and try to mitigate and push back against the effects of big business.' Mr Coogan also hit out at Nigel Farage 's Reform party for peddling 'racist rhetoric'. 'If the Government want to stop Reform making all these gains, instead of dealing with the symptoms of the problem by leaning into the racist rhetoric of Reform, they can deal with that by helping working people and the best way of doing that is to support the Co-operative movement,' he added. The comedian, who backed Labour under Jeremy Corbyn in both 2017 and 2019, criticised the political fabric of the UK, accusing governments of prioritising the wealthiest members of society. He claimed the co-operative movement aims to shift the focus towards working people and would soften the blow of Labour's recent welfare cuts which, after a chaotic backbench rebellion, saw the health element of Universal Credit halved. Last minute concessions, however, meant that radical changes to personal independence payment (Pip) would be delayed until November 2026. Mr Coogan also argued that a key reason post-industrial areas are 'dying' is the dominance of large supermarket chains. He claimed the co-operative movement would ensure less money left the local economy, with profits reinvested into key projects in the area. The movement is believed to date back to the 18th century but rose to prominence after the successful co-op at the Rochdale Pioneers' Shop in 1844. Mr Coogan pointed out that the idea was birthed in the UK but he suggested that it has been making bigger gains in other parts of the world. Earlier this year, the comedian starred in a two-part drama, written by James Graham, about Margaret Thatcher's 1989 interview with Brian Walden. The star, who plays the former Labour MP turned London Weekend Television host, said that he had 'huge antipathy' for the former PM describing himself as 'very anti-Thatcher'. He told the Radio Times: 'The one thing that I was worried about in this drama was being too compassionate because of her legacy.' The actor even took exception to a scene written by Sherwood writer Mr Graham, 42, for being 'too kind' to the Iron Lady and said that she would now be diagnosed with a 'disorder'. Mr Coogan added: 'In fact, in the edit we cut something because I thought it was a bit too kind and we wanted to remind people that there was this damage... 'She had vision and zeal, but she lacked empathy. Now, she'd probably be diagnosed with some sort of disorder.'
Powys County Times
9 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to miss entire India T20 series due to injury
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the rest of their T20 series against India due to a left groin injury. The all-rounder was ruled out of Friday's clash with a groin injury that she sustained during the second match in Bristol and the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Saturday she will be unavailable for the remainder of the series. England have already been dealt a major injury blow this summer with Heather Knight absent due to a hamstring injury, but Sciver-Brunt is expected to be available for selection ahead of the ODI series against India, which begins on July 16. Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the rest of the Vitality IT20 series against India due to the injury to her left groin she sustained in Bristol. Tammy Beaumont will continue to captain in her absence, with Maia Bouchier replacing Sciver-Brunt in the squad. Sciver-Brunt is expected… — England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 5, 2025 Tammy Beaumont stepped up to captain in her absence for the third T20 at the Oval on Friday, which England won with a last-ball five-run victory to keep the five-match series alive. India lead the series 2-1 with games in Manchester and Birmingham left to play and the ECB confirmed that Beaumont will continue to lead England for the remainder of the T20s. Maia Bouchier has been called up to replace Sciver-Brunt in the team, having not featured for England since their whitewash defeat by Australia in December. In a post on X, the ECB said: 'Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the rest of the Vitality IT20 series against India due to the injury to her left groin she sustained in Bristol. 'Tammy Beaumont will continue to captain in her absence, with Maia Bouchier replacing Sciver-Brunt in the squad. Sciver-Brunt is expected to be available for selection for the start of the Metro Bank ODI series.'
The Independent
10 minutes ago
- The Independent
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt to miss entire India T20 series due to injury
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the rest of their T20 series against India due to a left groin injury. The all-rounder was ruled out of Friday's clash with a groin injury that she sustained during the second match in Bristol and the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed on Saturday she will be unavailable for the remainder of the series. England have already been dealt a major injury blow this summer with Heather Knight absent due to a hamstring injury, but Sciver-Brunt is expected to be available for selection ahead of the ODI series against India, which begins on July 16. Tammy Beaumont stepped up to captain in her absence for the third T20 at the Oval on Friday, which England won with a last-ball five-run victory to keep the five-match series alive. India lead the series 2-1 with games in Manchester and Birmingham left to play and the ECB confirmed that Beaumont will continue to lead England for the remainder of the T20s. Maia Bouchier has been called up to replace Sciver-Brunt in the team, having not featured for England since their whitewash defeat by Australia in December. In a post on X, the ECB said: 'Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the rest of the Vitality IT20 series against India due to the injury to her left groin she sustained in Bristol. 'Tammy Beaumont will continue to captain in her absence, with Maia Bouchier replacing Sciver-Brunt in the squad. Sciver-Brunt is expected to be available for selection for the start of the Metro Bank ODI series.'
